[ExI] musk catches one

[spike at rainier66.com]

-----Original Message-----
From: Keith Henson <hkeithhenson at gmail.com> 
Sent: Sunday, 13 October, 2024 12:19 PM
To: ExI chat list <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
Cc: spike at rainier66.com
Subject: Re: [ExI] musk catches one

>...Elon does not like power satellites, but he is enabling them.

Keith

>...PS  Catching the rocket with arms is new, but everyone who read SF long ago knew that rockets should land tail first.





The control system guys were talking about it back in the long time agos too.  There were a lotta papers on it at the control freak conferences: a first stage with all those expensive boosters could be recovered that way, and might result in so little damage, the same first stage could be fueled up and fired again without extensive rework.

Elon's multiple booster approach (33 methane burners) in the Starship turned out to be the right answer as well.  The commies went down that road, while NASA went for the five biggies instead.  That the 33 motors approach works best is a surprise to me, but if you do the reliability numbers, it is the way to go for private industry and profit-driven launch technology.

Keith is this a great time to be alive or what?

spike